theater

'The Christmas Present' Is a Smart and Rewarding Comedy

Guy Picot’s “The Christmas Present,” at Sacred Fools Theater Company, is a smart and satisfying treat, a bittersweet seasonal comedy that’s full of unexpected surprises.

'Winter Wonderettes' Is a Freewheeling Crowd Pleaser

Roger Bean’s staging of his Christmas-oriented jukebox musical “Winter Wonderettes,” at La Mirada Theatre, is a slick blend of laughs and schmaltz with a peerless cast.

Hanafuda Denki : A Tale of Fantastic Traditional Playing Cards

A mixture of ghost stories andWeimarcabaret, “Hanafuda Denki,”Tokyo’s Ryuzanji Company’s adaptation of “The Threepenny Opera,” is sometimes inexplicable but always delightful.

Collected Stories

April Lang and Natalie Sutherland give fine performances in Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies’ two-hander “Collected Stories,” a guest production at Odyssey Theatre Ensemble.

Gretchen Mol Returns to the Stage in 'The Good Mother'

"Boardwalk Empire"'s Gretchen Mol discusses her return to the stage in The New Group's psychological thriller, "The Good Mother."

'Loud Speaker' Hits Us Over the Head

The jokes may have been fresh 86 years ago, but ReGroup Theatre’s slapdash production of John Howard Lawson’s antiquated political farce “Loud Speaker” is neither relevant nor funny.

Semi-Autobiographical ‘Mrs. Mannerly’ Amuses Despite Inconsistencies

Richard Horvitz gives an amusing performance as misfit little boy Jeffrey in Theatre 40’s two-hander about etiquette school in the ‘60s, but the show misses several opportunities for laughs.

Poignant 'Driving Miss Daisy' Well Worth the Trek to Sierra Madre

“Driving Miss Daisy,” Alfred Uhry’s 1988 Pulitzer Prize–winning drama, is getting a first-rate production at the Sierra Madre Playhouse, skillfully directed by Christian Lebano.

'Happy Face Sad Face' Comes Up Blank

R.J. Colleary’s “Happy Face Sad Face,” at the Elephant Lillian Theatre, never gets past its underlying gimmick of telling one story two ways: as a comedy and as a drama.

The Square Root of Wonderful

Carson McCullers’ “The Square Root of Wonderful” is getting a rare airing from Collaborative Artists Ensemble and Raven Theatre, but too many poor performances mar the production.